Franchising Middle East 2005 to showcase latest trends & opportunities in franchising to marketers from across the world

A premier expo of its own kind in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, FME is presented by Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders. And it is supported by International Franchise Association (IFA), the worldwide body of Franchising. The technical organisers of the expo are International Expo - Consults LLC.

This year's exhibition is expected to host over 80 Exhibitors from across the world. In its debut last year, FME 2004 featured over 50 exhibitors from 18 countries. The event generated tremendous media and visitor interest and attracted over 5,000 business visitors, investors and buyers from 47 countries including Pan Arab, Indian Sub-continent, South East Asia and Europe.

Making the announcement, Mr. Abdul Baset Al Janahi, CEO, Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders said, 'Our aim is to showcase the vast untapped potential for franchising in the Middle East. As the world gets smaller, local brands become recognizable globally; thus we see aggressive franchise growth throughout the Middle East and in other international markets.'

The Middle East is one of the fastest growing franchising destinations for marketers from across the world. The region is probably the most investor friendly region with full support from the Governments, attractive tax free facilities and world class infrastructure. Additionally, improved Intellectual property Legislations, a high number of High Net-worth Individuals and a young upwardly mobile consumer market keen on leisure and consumer spending make the Middle East an ideal place for Franchising opportunities. Industry estimates put the annual growth of this sector at 27 per cent, currently evaluated at over $14 billion across the region.

FME 2005 will feature a large number of Franchising concepts, Brands, Products and Services from the local and international market and will prove to be the perfect meeting place for interested Franchise seekers to Evaluate, Choose and Acquire franchise and business opportunities in the Middle East.

Explaining the vast opportunities and benefits of the franchise sector, Mohammed Falaknaz, IEC Vice President, said, 'Franchise is one of the most aggressively growing economic sectors and offers one of the biggest sources of new business opportunities and employment. Whilst, fast food dominates franchising in the Middle East, there exist a number of other high growth sectors like Automotive, Apparel, Education, Beauty, Retail, Travel, etc. This exhibition, will proactively promote awareness about the possibilities of franchising among young local entrepreneurs in the UAE and the Middle East.'